By Professor Dr Jacqueline Baxter. Professor of Public sector leadership and management.
Jacqueline Baxter is professor of Public Leadership and Management at The Open University UK and a longstanding member of Oxford Medical’s Faculty of Tutors. Her research interests lie in the areas of leadership emergence, leadership strategy and identity, plus online teaching and learning. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-jacqueline-baxter-53206a12/
Remote meetings are, in my experience, often poorly chaired, lack structure and value and take up employees valuable time. Since the pandemic, meetings often run back-to-back, meaning people arrive in them unprepared and still thinking about the last meeting. In addition, meetings have increased as the time it takes to get from one to another has now been eradicated, along with the thinking and down time this used to provide. A good question to begin with is why are we having this meeting and what do we hope we are going to achieve ? Not all meetings are necessary. Some meetings can be avoided by other means of discussion – Padlets that illustrate others’ thoughts in a productive way, online polls etc.
But if you do have to have a meeting, just like any other type of remote interaction, remote meetings take thought and preparation. Some of the ways that you can make your meetings better are outlined below:
Setting a clear agenda and stating why this meeting is necessary
People often do the former and forget the latter! Have you made it clear why people should be attending your meeting? I have often been in meetings where I have felt completely redundant. Either because the topic was out of my scope of interest, or because no one actually asked my opinion throughout the whole 2 hours! Or stated why it might be relevant.
A clearly defined agenda is fundamental to the success of remote meetings. Chairs should communicate the purpose, goals, and structure of the meeting in advance, ensuring participants understand their roles and what is expected of them (Mroz et al., 2018). Providing a detailed agenda enables attendees to prepare effectively and fosters a sense of accountability. Define who is accountable for what, preferably before the meeting. Which brings us to …
Getting people psychologically into the room!
Yes they are there, their cameras are on and their faces are on screen, but are they there? Compacted schedules due to increased online meetings are common now, across the public services. Leaders report back-to-back meetings from 8 am until 6pm, leaving precious little time for anything else. If you are dealing with back-to-back meetings, chances are that you will still be thinking about the last one, when you come into this one…
How can you, as chair, set a question before the meeting, that gets people into the room? Or create a short mindfulness exercise to give people the space to reflect on the subject of their current meeting.
Establishing your ground rules
Setting clear ground rules regarding punctuality, muting microphones, and minimizing multitasking can help maintain focus. Research by Rogelberg et al. (2006) highlights the importance of meeting norms in enhancing group cohesion and productivity. For example, if you want to see people interacting ask for cameras on when they are a) either asked a question or b) respond to a question. Using the chat box can be handy if you want to get a response from everyone, but take care, you need to outline that this is what chat is for. If you are using breakouts for a meeting, make sure everyone is familiar with what happens when you put people into a group – if they are not, they may suspect a tech malfunction and leave!
Utilising tech effectively
Leveraging appropriate tools and platforms is critical for remote meetings. The chair should ensure that the chosen technology supports the meeting’s objectives, whether it involves video conferencing, shared documents, or interactive polls. According to Dennis et al. (2008), the alignment of meeting tools with the task at hand improves efficiency and participant satisfaction. Polls, quizzes and other apps can enhance collaboration (Baxter, 2024) and encourage quieter members of the group to voice opinions in a safe space. Which leads us to…
Encouraging inclusivity and participation
Remote meetings can amplify the challenges of unequal participation; for example, introverts can ‘disappear’ in larger meetings. Chairs can actively encourage all attendees to contribute by directing questions to quieter participants and acknowledging their input. They can also use names (much easier in the remote environment), enhancing psychological buy in (Cutler et al., 2021). This approach aligns with the findings of Pentland (2012), who demonstrated that inclusive communication patterns lead to more effective collaboration.
Preparing people in advance helps with engagement. If they haven’t had time to read the papers, give them time in the break and don’t be afraid to juggle the agenda items accordingly. Remember the meeting needs to be worth your time and others, so do what you have to make it so !
Managing time effectively
I become really worried if I don’t know when my breaks will be in a meeting. I also become tired, frustrated and start looking through my emails if the chair doesn’t outline when the break/s will be.
Time management is particularly crucial in remote settings where attention spans can wane. There is plenty of evidence that indicates that attention spans in remote environments are short. Allocating time for each agenda item, monitoring adherence to the schedule, and ensuring discussions remain focused are all parts of a remote chair’s job. Paying attention to people who have switched off cameras or are clearly scrolling the internet, is also part of the mix. Of course you can’t force people to engage, but you can create an environment where it becomes more likely that they will.
Effective time management not only increases productivity but also respects participants’ time constraints (Leach et al., 2009). Plentiful comfort breaks that are outlined from the start, can help with individuals’ management of meetings and colour their expectations and experiences. If a meeting looks likely to go on outside the given time, ensure that you alert people to this at the earliest opportunity, ideally at least 15 mins before the originally scheduled end point. This helps you reach agreement on whether to either extend the meeting, or carry points forward to another time. There is little worse than people ‘dropping off’ a call, leaving you sitting alone in the room…
Monitoring engagement online
Non-verbal cues are harder to read in remote meetings, making it essential for chairs to monitor engagement through active questioning and periodic check-ins. Research by Allen et al. (2015) suggests that maintaining engagement requires a combination of verbal interaction and visual aids, such as slides or screen-sharing. However, bear in mind that slides take up screen space – if people are joining by phone or tablet this will limit interaction. Polls do a good job of monitoring interactions, by providing a visual representation of people’s thoughts. The humble chat box can also be used for this, although you should make clear what you want the chat box to be used for at the beginning of the meeting. I have been in meetings where individuals were criticising the chair, in the chat box!
Providing summaries and action items
As with any meeting, the chair should conclude the meeting with a summary of key points and clearly defined action items. This practice ensures accountability and aligns with the recommendations of Cutler et al, (2021), who emphasise the role of follow-ups in sustaining meeting effectiveness.
Fostering a positive atmosphere
Finally, a positive and supportive tone set by the chair can influence the overall meeting atmosphere. Encouragement, humour, and expressions of gratitude contribute to a collaborative and motivated group dynamic (Fredrickson, 2001).
Conclusion
The chair’s role in remote meetings extends beyond mere facilitation; it involves creating an environment that fosters collaboration, inclusivity, and productivity. By setting clear agendas, utilising technology effectively, and ensuring participation, chairs can add significant value to remote meetings, benefiting both the attendees and the organisation as a whole.
References
Cutler, R., Hosseinkashi, Y., Pool, J., Filipi, S., Aichner, R., Tu, Y., & Gehrke, J. (2021). Meeting effectiveness and inclusiveness in remote collaboration. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 5(CSCW1), 1-29. \
Dennis, A. R., Fuller, R. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). Media, tasks, and communication processes: A theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 575-600.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218.
Leach, D. J., Rogelberg, S. G., Warr, P. B., & Burnfield, J. L. (2009). Perceived meeting effectiveness: The role of design characteristics. Journal of Business and Psychology, 24(1), 65-76.
Mroz, J. E., Allen, J. A., Verhoeven, D. C., & Shuffler, M. L. (2018). Do we really need another meeting? The science of workplace meetings. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(6), 484-491.
Pentland, A. (2012). The new science of building great teams. Harvard Business Review, 90(4), 60-70.
